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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com